Trolley-stand



(No Model.)

J. R. GRIFFITHS.

,TROLLEY STAND.

No. 498,932. Patented June 6, 1893...

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. GRIFFITHS, `OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TROLLEY-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,932, dated June 6,1893.

Application tiled July 2, 1892. Serial No. .Ln'tlih'73/l.I (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES R. GRIrFITHs, re-

siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and i State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new This invention relates to supports for trolleypoles for overhead wire electric railways.

The object of the invention is to produce a jointed support for trolley1poles in which the pole shall be normally held in vertical position, butmay swing down if sufficient resistance is offered.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the base of a trolleypole. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section of same. Fig. 3 is areduced side elevation of the base, showing broken pole attached. Figlis a reduced end eleva` tion of same.

The numeral l indicates the frame or foundation, which is attached tothe top of a car. This frame has a tube or casing 2, firmly attached.The tube or casing 2 is slotted along its upper surface, and serves as ahousing for the strong spiral spring 3, which is inclosed in the tube.The spiral spring has its ends inclosed in caps or cups 4, bypreference, although any abutment at the end of the spring `which givesan end bearing will serve the same purpose. The casing 2 has a screw cap8 or other perforated abutment at each end. A rack bar 5 extendslengthwise of the casing `2, and has arms 6 turned down at each end,past the center of the spring inclosed in the casing. A set screw 7passes through each arm and rests against the cup or abutment 4 of thespring. The caps or covers 8 of the casing have open ends, through whichthe screws 7 and the arms 6 may pass, but not large enough to pass thespring 3. One of the caps 8 may be solid with tube 2, and the otherremovable for the insertion of the spring into the tube or casing. Setscrews 7 may be turned up to give any desirable pressure on the spring,and this pressure will be the initial tension, which must be increasedbefore the spring can be further compressed. The rack bar 5 has teeth10, which project into engagement with the teeth 11 of a pivoted Segment12. The segmental geared piece 12 i is supported on a pivot or pintle13, passing through the axis of the segment and through upright bars 14,which bars are rigidly connected .to the base. The segment 12 hasupright extensions or bars 16 above its pivot or pintle, and the trolleypole is indirectly connected to these bars 16.

The casing 2 and spring 3 extend lengthwise of the car, and the trolleypoleAis practrically rigid with the bars 16, so far as lengthwisemovement is concerned. When pressure is brought on the pole, as bythewire, when the distance from the top of the cardecreases, the upperend of the trolley pole will be swung toward the front or rear of thecar, and at thesame-time swung downward. This movement rocks the segment12 on its .pintle, and the teeth 1l of the segment, engaging teeth 10 ofthe rack 5, press the rack endwise relatively to spring 3. One arm 6 ofthe rack bar, (by its screw 7) bears on the spring, and compresses thespring within its casing. The slot in the casing is wide enough topermit arm 6 to move therein. The other arm will be withdrawn from theend of the spring, so that the entire force of the spring will bebrought to bear to restore the trolley pole to its upright positionthrough the rack and its geared segment. It will appear that whicheverway the segment l2 is rocked from its normal position, the spring willbe compressed between the arm 6 and the rack bar and the opposite end ofthe casing. Thus one spring serves to restore the segment, and therebythe trolley pole to normal position, and by means of the set screws theinitial pressure on the spring may be adjusted. It will also appear,from the construction described, that if the set screws 7 be set up soas to hold the spring compressed between them to a length less than thedistance between the caps or abutments 8, there may be a lost motionbefore the end of the spring will be brought to its bearing, andconsequently the pole will be free to rock a little distance without anyspring resistance. The same result will follow if the set screws 7 areset so far apart that they do not both bear on the spring at the sametime. This lost motion may be utilized to prevent the rise of the polequite to a perpendicular position.

The set screws 7 may be provided with lock IOO nuts 17, for the usualpurpose of such nuts. The bars 16, rigid with the segment, have a rocker21 pivoted between them. This rocker 21 is supported on pintle 22, andmay swing thereon, and rocker 21 has a socket or other extension 23, towhich the main trolley pole A is attached.

The bars 16 have a frame 26 rigidly attached thereto, and extending ateach side. A spring 27 is connected at each end of the frame, and alsoconnected to the rocker 21 above the pivot thereof. The springs 27 arepreferably connected to hooks 29 which extend through the ends of theframe, and are provided with screw threads, and nuts 30 outside theframe may be set up to regu-late the tension of the springs 27. Thesprings 27 permit the rocker 21, and thus the socket and connected poleA, to swing sidewise, in order that the wheel at the end of the trolleypole may more surely follow the wire. Any usual form of trolley pole andconductor may be used. The pole may be swung down and away from theWire, and then swung over past the perpendicular and connected in theother direction, as is usual in trolley poles. The frame and casingshould be made as light as is consistent with strength. As the rocker 21is rigid as respectslengthwise movement, that is, will not swinglengthwise ot' the car, its presence does not aiect the rigidity ot' thepole and connections, except as to side movement.

I claim- 1. A base for trolley poles having a coiled spring confinedbetween end abutments, a rack bar with arms which have a bearing on theends of said spring, and a segmental gear engaging said rack and havingthe trolley pole connected thereto all combined substantially asdescribed.

2. The base for trolley poles having acoiled spring inclosed in aslotted casing, a rack bar having arms projecting past the ends ot' saidspring, in line with the slot, and having adjustable bearing piecesengaging the spring, and a segmental gear engaging the rack and havingthe socketfor the trolley pole connected thereto, all combinedsubstantially as described.

3. The base for trolley poles having a curved rack attached to the lowerpart of the pole,a rack engaging the same and movable in the directionof its length, a spring held between abutments at the ends of the rack,and set screws connected to the rack and bearing against said spring,all combined substantially as described.

t. The supporting base for trolley poles having a single spring inclosed between end abutments, a rack bar with arms bearing indirectlyagainst the ends of the spring, a pivoted segm ent gear engaging saidrack, a swinging piece pivoted transversely of said segment, and thesupport for the trolley pole counected to said swinging piece, allcombined substantially as described.

5. The base for trolley pole having a spring inclosed between abntments,a rack bar having arms embracing said spring, means for confining thespring so that the rack bar may have limited movement before compressingthe spring, and a rocking segment gear engaging the rack bar andsupporting the trolley pole, all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ax ny-signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. GRIFFITHS.

Witnesses:

W. A. BARTLETT, S. BRAsHEARs.

